ZIP code
28722
in Columbus, North CarolinaPopulation 6,086
54.64/ 100
Ranked #9,899 of 32,066 US ZIPs (top 31%)
Ranked #233 of 793 North Carolina ZIPs (top 29%)
Ranks are modeled estimates — ZIPs a few hundred places apart are effectively tied.
What defines this ZIP
Metrics where this ZIP sits in the tails of the national distribution — the ones that most set it apart. Select any tile for its definition and methodology.
Slow internet speeds
9.9%
in the top 1.4% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST99thUS99thDefinition & source ›
The share of homes whose fastest available download speed is under 10 Mbps.
Full methodology ›Arsenic in groundwater
0.96%
in the bottom 1.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST1stUS2ndDefinition & source ›
The modeled probability that untreated groundwater in this area — the source private wells draw on — exceeds the federal arsenic limit of 10 micrograms per liter.
A modeled likelihood for untreated groundwater, the source drawn on by private wells, which are federally unregulated. It is not a measurement of treated water delivered by a public system, and it is not a test of any individual well.
Full methodology ›Grocery access
0.32 per 1,000 residents
in the top 3.3% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST95thUS97thDefinition & source ›
The number of full supermarkets inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one. ZipVitals’s food-access signal is derived from these in-ZIP densities — it is not USDA’s food-desert designation, which measures distance to the nearest supermarket. Where a leg is missing, a ZIP reads “not determinable,” never “not a food desert.”
Full methodology ›Hearing disability
11.7%
in the top 5.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST97thUS94thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
Full methodology ›Short sleep
29%
in the bottom 5.8% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST6thUS6thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who usually sleep less than seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Full methodology ›Binge drinking
12.3%
in the bottom 8.5% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST16thUS8thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults who report binge drinking — five or more drinks on one occasion for men, four or more for women.
Full methodology ›Dental provider access
0.8 per 1,000 residents
in the top 10.9% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS89thDefinition & source ›
The number of dental offices located inside this ZIP’s boundary, per 1,000 residents.
Counted from establishments located inside this ZIP’s boundary, so one just across the line is not counted. Where a ZIP has too few residents for the density to be reliable, no value is published rather than an unreliable one.
Full methodology ›Colon-cancer screening
72%
in the top 10.6% nationally
Higher is healthier
ST91stUS89thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults aged 45–75 who are up to date on colorectal-cancer screening.
Full methodology ›High cholesterol
42.4%
in the top 13.6% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST93rdUS86thDefinition & source ›
The estimated share of adults with high cholesterol, among those who have ever been screened for it.
Full methodology ›Floodplain exposure
1.8%
in the bottom 17% nationally
Lower is healthier
ST10thUS17thDefinition & source ›
The share of this ZIP’s land area inside FEMA’s 1%-annual-chance floodplain — the “100-year” flood zone, where flooding has about a 1-in-100 chance in any given year.
Measured from FEMA’s mapped flood panels. Where a panel has not been mapped, no value is published for that ZIP — those ZIPs are absent from this comparison rather than counted as unexposed.
Full methodology ›The read
Columbus, North Carolina (ZIP 28722), on the composite measure, lands in the top 31% healthiest ZIPs nationally (9,899th) and the top 29% of North Carolina (233rd).
Where the data leans one way, another reading answers it: modeled arsenic resides in the bottom 1.6% nationally, and grocery lies in the top 3.3% nationally. Distance to an emergency room settles at the national minimum, shared with about 11% of ZIPs. Modeled short sleep stands in the bottom 5.8% nationally, and binge drinking is in the bottom 8.5% nationally. Dental providers rests in the top 10.9% nationally. Distance to a community health center sits at the national minimum, shared with about 23% of ZIPs. On the other hand, slow internet speeds registers in the top 1.4% nationally, and modeled hearing disability lands in the top 5.6% nationally. Modeled coronary heart disease resides in the top 10.5% nationally.
Set against the neighboring ZIPs, slow internet speeds runs far higher than the surrounding ZIPs on this measure. In everyday language, arsenic is a natural groundwater contaminant, here a modeled estimate of the chance private-well levels exceed a benchmark. Distance to a community health center is a federally funded (HRSA) community health center serving everyone regardless of ability to pay. A healthier neighbor overall sits at ZIP 28773, just across the boundary.
What’s driving this score
Nine domains make up the ZipVitals Score — here is how this ZIP does on each, and how much each one counts.
Compared with the ZIP codes measured across all nine scoring domains — not with all US ZIP codes.
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 84%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 92%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 93%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 70%
8%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 58%
14%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 56%
5%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 19%
21%
Disability
healthier than 32%
7%
Lifting this score
Social Need / SDOH
healthier than 83%
16%
Preventive Care
healthier than 91%
13%
Risk Behavior
healthier than 90%
11%
Mental Health
healthier than 90%
8%
Climate / Disaster Risk
healthier than 83%
5%
Healthcare Access
in the top 0.00%
5%
About typical
Environmental Hazard
healthier than 43%
14%
Disability
healthier than 45%
7%
Holding it back
Chronic Disease Burden
healthier than 28%
21%
“Share” is how much of this ZIP’s score the domain accounts for. Percentages are rounded; higher is healthier in every domain. How the score works, and who it compares you with ›
Findings that name this ZIP
2 of our published findings list this ZIP code. Each finding compares one published measure against a stated benchmark, and names only the ZIP codes whose estimates are reliable enough to rank. See all surprising findings.
Above what income predicts
The ZIP codes that outlive their incomes
Estimated life expectancy is 80.8 ± 1.9 years. A median household income of $67,760 predicts 78.5 years — 2.2 years above.
Ranked #815 of the 5,842 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above what income predicts, highest first.
Above its nearby ZIPs
The ZIP codes that outlive their neighbors
Estimated life expectancy is 80.8 ± 1.9 years. The 49 nearest ZIP codes with estimates average 77.0 years — 3.8 years above them.
Ranked #435 of the 3,687 ZIP codes this finding names, ordered by years above the nearby-ZIP average, highest first.
Nearby & similar ZIPs
Editorially selected — see how this ZIP compares to nearby and similar places.
Nearby
28139
North Carolinashares a border
Score 46.02
Closest healthier
28773
North Carolinashares a border
Score 59.05
Similar health profile
28671
North Carolina97% similar profile
Score 55.16
How these were chosen: only ZIPs with a published Score appear — a nearby ZIP with too little data to score won’t. Nearby means closest by distance between ZIP boundaries, which can cross state lines. A similar health profile is a close match across the nine Score domains, not similar demographics. Distances are measured between ZIP boundaries — ZIPs that touch share a border. How distance is measured
Evidence
Every measure this page draws on, by source. Collapsed by default — the full data stays in the page for search engines either way.
Health OutcomesCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Arthritis among adults | 36.3% | 32.2–40.2 |
| High blood pressure among adults | 44.0% | 39.1–48.5 |
| Cancer (non-skin) or melanoma among adults | 13.3% | 12.0–14.7 |
| Current asthma among adults | 10.5% | 9.2–11.8 |
| Coronary heart disease among adults | 9.9% | 8.7–11.1 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults | 9.4% | 8.1–10.8 |
| Depression among adults | 23.5% | 19.9–27.2 |
| Diagnosed diabetes among adults | 13.8% | 11.8–15.8 |
| High cholesterol among adults who have ever been screened | 42.4% | 37.6–47.0 |
| Obesity among adults | 33.9% | 26.1–42.2 |
| Stroke among adults | 4.9% | 4.3–5.4 |
| All teeth lost among adults aged >=65 years | 12.5% | 10.1–15.0 |
PreventionCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Current lack of health insurance among adults aged 18-64 years | 8.9% | 7.4–10.6 |
| Taking medicine to control high blood pressure among adults with high blood pressure | 83.3% | 80.6–85.6 |
| Visits to doctor for routine checkup within the past year among adults | 83.1% | 80.1–86.0 |
| Cholesterol screening among adults | 90.8% | 89.4–92.0 |
| Colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 45–75 years | 72.0% | 67.2–76.4 |
| Visited dentist or dental clinic in the past year among adults | 66.6% | 63.0–70.0 |
| Mammography use among women aged 50-74 years | 78.1% | 70.7–84.1 |
Health Risk BehaviorsCDC PLACES 2022 / 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Binge drinking among adults | 12.3% | 10.0–15.1 |
| Current cigarette smoking among adults | 12.3% | 10.4–14.2 |
| No leisure-time physical activity among adults | 25.1% | 20.4–29.5 |
| Short sleep duration among adults | 29.0% | 23.2–35.2 |
Health StatusCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor self-rated health status among adults | 19.7% | 16.8–22.5 |
| Frequent mental distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.6–16.1 |
| Frequent physical distress among adults | 14.3% | 12.3–16.1 |
DisabilityCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive disability among adults | 13.6% | 11.7–15.3 |
| Any disability among adults | 36.9% | 32.0–41.4 |
| Hearing disability among adults | 11.7% | 10.2–13.1 |
| Independent living disability among adults | 8.7% | 7.5–9.9 |
| Mobility disability among adults | 18.4% | 15.6–20.9 |
| Self-care disability among adults | 4.3% | 3.7–4.8 |
| Vision disability among adults | 5.5% | 4.8–6.3 |
Health-Related Social NeedsCDC PLACES 2023 · BRFSS
| Measure | Crude prevalence | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of social and emotional support among adults | 19.0% | 16.0–22.4 |
| Food insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 10.4% | 8.6–12.3 |
| Received food stamps in the past 12 months among adults | 8.1% | 6.7–9.6 |
| Housing insecurity in the past 12 months among adults | 7.7% | 6.5–9.0 |
| Lack of reliable transportation in the past 12 months among adults | 6.0% | 5.2–6.9 |
| Loneliness among adults | 29.1% | 24.3–34.5 |
| Utility services shut-off threat in the past 12 months among adults | 5.2% | 4.4–5.9 |
Community & economyCensus ACS 5-Year · 2024 release · observed
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 10.6% (3.1–25.8%) n=32,364 | 13.0% (4.4–25.0%) n=793 |
| Uninsured 18–64 | 21.3% | 9.0% (1.5–24.3%) n=32,286 | 14.5% (5.7–24.9%) n=794 |
| No HS diploma (25+) | 5.1% | 7.9% (1.8–20.7%) n=32,505 | 10.4% (3.1–19.8%) n=798 |
| Bachelor's or higher (25+) | 36.7% | 23.3% (9.2–53.6%) n=32,505 | 22.8% (10.7–53.4%) n=798 |
| Unemployment rate (16+) | 2.2% | 3.9% (0.0–9.8%) n=32,274 | 4.2% (0.0–9.1%) n=796 |
| Households without a vehicle | 6.3% | 3.9% (0.0–12.5%) n=32,322 | 3.9% (0.0–10.2%) n=793 |
| Broadband subscription | 81.4% | 89.3% (75.1–97.1%) n=32,322 | 87.6% (76.2–96.3%) n=793 |
| Housing cost burden (≥30% income) | 22.7% | 23.7% (10.6–40.0%) n=32,322 | 24.7% (14.1–36.5%) n=793 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.4% | 78.7% (51.7–94.0%) n=32,322 | 75.0% (52.7–89.7%) n=793 |
| Crowded housing (>1 per room) | 1.8% | 1.3% (0.0–6.3%) n=32,322 | 1.4% (0.0–4.5%) n=793 |
| Foreign-born population | 3.1% | 2.6% (0.0–18.6%) n=32,553 | 4.2% (0.0–12.9%) n=799 |
| Single-parent households | 68.3% | 53.6% (37.3–74.1%) n=32,087 | 51.8% (39.2–70.1%) n=790 |
| Population 65+ | 36.5% | 19.4% (10.8–33.6%) n=32,553 | 19.7% (11.1–31.9%) n=799 |
| Median age | 55.3 yr | 42.2 yr (33.0–56.3) n=32,292 | 42.5 yr (33.3–55.7) n=797 |
| Median household income | $67,760 | $72,070 ($46,039–$118,707) n=30,318 | $65,030 ($44,419–$97,111) n=749 |
| Median home value | $307,300 | $222,200 ($100,300–$579,820) n=30,049 | $223,850 ($113,970–$452,990) n=758 |
| Median gross rent | $1,863 | $1,021 ($677–$1,912) n=25,670 | $957 ($715–$1,575) n=687 |
Life expectancyNCHS / RWJF USALEEP · model-based
| Measure | Value | US median (p10–p90) | NC median (p10–p90) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.8 yr ± 0.97 | 78.9 yr (74.7–82.8) n=31,308 | 77.3 yr (74.6–80.8) n=747 |
About the ± — it’s this estimate’s give-or-take (statisticians call it the standard error). The true life expectancy for this ZIP most likely falls within 0.97 years of 80.8, and it’s very unlikely to be off by more than twice that.
More ZIPs to explore ▾More ZIPs to explore ▴
How these lists were built: they draw only from ZIPs that have a published Score, so ZIPs with too little data to score are not listed. Distance-based lists use distance between ZIP boundaries with no state filter, so an out-of-state ZIP can appear. Statistically similar means a close match across the nine Score domains, not a demographic match: the measure is the cosine similarity between two ZIPs’ domain scores, taken over the domains both ZIPs have data for and only where that overlap covers at least six of the nine — and where no ZIP clears that minimum-overlap floor, that list is left out rather than filled with a weak match. How distance is measured